John A. Boccieri: “I thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) and the committee for their work on this important bill that recognizes…”

“I thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) and the committee for their work on this important bill that recognizes the service of our strong military members who find themselves on multiple rotations, and some of those who find themselves injured. Today the Blue Star/Gold Star Flag Act of 2009 is a tribute to those military families. In 2009, one of my constituents was required by her condominium association to remove the Service flag. It was placed in her window in honor of her son, an Iraq war soldier who had served multiple tours and was twice injured in the line of duty while serving over in Iraq. They were both roadside bombs. The Service flag, or the Blue Star flag or Gold Star flag, is an official banner, as has been said, by the Department of Defense, and it's been on display by families of members serving in the Armed Forces during a period of war. The Service flag has significant meaning to our Nation and the families of the men and women who are serving. It's a symbol of the sacrifices and service of our members of the military who put their lives on the line every day to protect all of us, and that's why family members should be allowed to fly the flag in honor of those sacrifices, no matter where they live. This bipartisan, commonsense measure is based on the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 that passed both Chambers overwhelmingly during the 109th Congress.”